A View From the Classroom: The War Against Israel on Dutch University Campuses

Outside of America, the war against Israel is also being fought on European university campuses — a second, often overlooked front.

While most attention is focused on the US, equally troubling developments are unfolding across Europe — particularly in the Netherlands.

Maastricht University exemplifies this concern. Student organizations like Free Palestine Maastricht (FPM) routinely host demonstrations marked by extremist rhetoric, inciting violence and antisemitism. Chants include explicit calls for violence such as “Long live the armed resistance, there is only one solution, Intifada revolution,” and “Falasteen horra horra, el sahyouni barra barra” (Palestine free, Zionists out), creating a deeply hostile environment for Jewish students and faculty.

Beyond rhetoric, FPM engages in fundraising disguised as humanitarian aid, funneling funds to extremist-linked entities in Gaza.

One Gazan recipient, the Sanabel Team, publicly celebrated antisemitic violence against Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans in Amsterdam in November 2024, framing these acts as continuations of Hamas atrocities on October 7, 2023. Alarmingly, FPM reposted and endorsed the chilling call: “Kill all Zionists.”

After platforms like PayPal and GoFundMe blocked extremist fundraising, FPM continued through direct transfers and cash collections, coinciding notably with reports of severe financial difficulties faced by Hezbollah, Hamas’ ally.

Faculty complicity further deepens the crisis. A lecturer from Radboud University in Nijmegen reposted propaganda from Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, implicitly endorsing violence. He also explicitly called for disrupting a lecture by Syrian peace advocate Rawan Osman at Maastricht University, enthusiastically acted upon by FPM. The event escalated dangerously, prompting municipal authorities to advise its termination. Protesters surrounded the building, aggressively banged on windows, hurled antisemitic slurs, and attendees required police protection to exit. Subsequently, Jewish students who organized the lecture were denied permission for future events, while FPM continues freely.

Both Nijmegen and Maastricht universities have historical connections with Samidoun, designated by several countries as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist entity. Samidoun advocates for prisoners involved in terrorism, amplifies extremist rhetoric, and participates actively in anti-Israel propaganda.

Maastricht University maintains partnerships with Iranian universities linked to Iran’s extremist regime, yet simultaneously froze ties with Israeli institutions after FPM occupied a faculty building’s garden, declaring it a “Zionist-free” zone. This double standard underscores alarming institutional complicity. Additionally, FPM has spread the shocking accusation on social media that the Hebrew University of Jerusalem uses stolen Palestinian organs for scientific research — a modern revival of antisemitic blood libels — yet Maastricht University has taken no action against this dangerous and inflammatory propaganda.

This troubling climate exists on campuses across the Netherlands, as confirmed by recent research conducted by Dr. Eliyahu Sapir and myself. Our findings document widespread intimidation, threats, and explicit antisemitism at Dutch universities, including professors penalizing students who object to antisemitic remarks, campus protests equating Israel with Nazi Germany, and confrontations specifically targeting visibly Jewish students.

Campus-driven extremism directly impacts Dutch policy and public opinion. In 2024, intensified activism led the Dutch Court of Appeal to halt exports of essential components for Israel’s F-35 jets. Public opinion has also shifted markedly; an April 2025 Ipsos poll revealed 54% of Dutch citizens now support harsher policies toward Israel.

These campus developments mirror shifts within the Dutch government. Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp consistently aligns his rhetoric with Hamas, advocating ceasefires to facilitate hostage releases, rather than insisting on the prior release of hostages. He criticized pro-Israel groups, labeling their humanitarian support for Jewish settlements “undesirable,” yet offered no similar scrutiny to Hamas-linked funding groups. Veldkamp even prematurely suggested Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu could face arrest due to an ICC ruling, deliberately setting a confrontational diplomatic tone.

The gravity of this situation is internationally recognized. At the upcoming European Jewish Association (EJA) Annual Conference in Madrid (May 12–13, 2025), over 150 Jewish community leaders will address antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on European campuses, highlighting Maastricht as a key example.

Given this hostile climate and complicity in extremist activities, Israel should seriously reconsider academic partnerships with Dutch universities. Taking decisive action would send a clear message: institutions tolerating antisemitic propaganda must face meaningful consequences.

There are few dissenting voices against this extremist narrative — I am one of them. Consequently, I have received racist and sexist slurs, faced online death threats explicitly stating that I am a legitimate target to be destroyed, vaporized, or made to “disappear.” I have found pigeons slaughtered on my car, and my car door smeared with blood. These attacks are not personal; they are part of the broader war against Israel. 

Let’s win it.

The author is Associate Professor at Maastricht University.

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